Today’s devotion is from Hebrews 8:6
‘But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.’
Under the Law of Moses, the people of God had to continually offer sacrifices to the Lord for their sins. One spotless male lamb in the morning and another one at night. The offerings were continually burning before the Lord so that their sins would be continually covered. (Exodus 29:38-46)
Hebrews 10:1-14
1 The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship.
4 For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
10 For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.
11 Under the old covenant, the priest stands and ministers before the altar day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins.
12 But our High Priest offered himself to God as a single sacrifice for sins, good for all time.
14 For by that one offering He forever made perfect those who are being made holy.
In the New Covenant Jesus died ONCE for all. The continual sacrifices under the Law had the power to COVER sins, but not to TAKE THEM AWAY. Jesus sacrifice has the power to TAKE AWAY all sin and to FOREVER make perfect those who are continually being made holy. Did you know that in Christ you are not only forgiven, you are made perfect and you are continually being made Holy by His one sacrifice.
The Lord went to great lengths to assure us that in the midst of our mistakes, our shortcomings and our sin, because of Jesus, we HAVE ALREADY been forgiven, our sin HAS ALREADY been taken away, we are perfect in Jesus perfection in the sight of the Father, and even as we fall short in our own actions and works, we are being made Holy by Jesus’ one sacrifice.
Legalistic religion tries to keep people under condemnation. It tries to sell the lie that you are not continually righteous, that you are not continually justified and that you are not continually being made holy. Dead legalistic religion tries to bring us back to the Law of Moses which requires continual actions, continual sacrifices and continual approaching God over and over for the forgiveness of sins.
In the New Covenant, you are perfect and continually being made Holy in Christ. You do not get to make sacrifices or go through religious rituals to get forgiveness. Under the new Covenant we THANK THE FATHER that we have been forgiven and then we receive that forgiveness. We thank the Father that we are perfect in Christ’s perfection and then we receive that perfection. We thank the Father that we are continually being made holy, and than we receive that holiness by grace through faith in Jesus Name! In the New Covenant we thank the Father that by the stripes of Jesus we have been healed by Jesus’ ONE sacrifice for ALL sickness, and then we receive our healing in Jesus Name!
Thank God for a New and better covenant, thank God for Jesus and thank God for His never ending love! ~ Selah